What makes someone a serial killer? This question has eluded psychologists and law enforcement officials for decades. While there are some common serial killer traits, not all of them are common to all serial killers. However, they are common enough that they are worth looking at. Knowing what some of these traits helps law enforcement identify and profile them. Here are 11 of the most common traits of serial killers.
1. They Show Signs of Sociopathy/ Psychopathy
According to Psychology Today, many serial killers live on the fringes of society and show signs of psychopathy or sociopathy. Very often, these traits show up during childhood: They did in killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and David Berkowitz.
They lack the empathy and social mores that
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Playing With Fire
Another common trait among serial killers during their childhood years is that they start fires. Arson was a favorite “hobby” of “Son of Sam” murder, David Berkowitz. This fascination earned him the unflattering nickname of “Pyro.” It is believed that he might have been responsible for over a thousand fires.
4. Childhood Abuse and Neglect
According to the Movie Pilot website, many serial killers experienced childhood abuse and neglect. This could include sexual, physical, or psychological abuse. Aileen Wuornos, a woman who killed six of the Johns who visited her while she worked as a prostitute, experienced a great deal of abuse and neglect during her childhood. After a childhood of being sexually abused and raped, she was thrown out of the house by her grandfather at fifteen. It was then that she turned to prostitution.
5. Witnessing Substance Abuse
Listverse suggests that many people who grow up to be serial killers grew up around substance abuse. Often this abuse started before they were born. Some of them had mothers who abused alcohol and drugs while they were pregnant. As many as 70% of them grew up in homes where substance abuse was the norm.
6. They’re Addicted to
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According to The Daily Mail, serial killers often want to exert power over people. Very often, they do this by withholding information that would be critical to the police and other investigators.
7. They’re Often Male
Aileen Wuornos aside, one really common trait among serial killers is that they are usually male, according to The Rich List. Ninety-one percent of serial killers turn out to be male. Psychologists aren’t yet sure why this is one of the most common serial killer traits. It may be the increased level of testosterone combined with a poor upbringing. However, these are really only guesses. What makes someone a serial killer is probably more complex than that. Incidentally, the same site also says that these killers are also most often white.
8. A History of Attempted Suicide
According to the Avvo website, many serial killers tried to commit suicide multiple times in their lives. New Jersey serial killer, Charles Edmund Cullen tried to kill himself 20 times. Someone who tries to kill himself and who exihibits some of these other signs may go on to become a serial